The Internet. Most use it everyday and many can remember a time before it was so readily accessible. Not so with the 12 student curators of #ArtistsBeLike, the new exhibition at NURTUREart in that they are among the first generation born after the advent of the internet in the mid-nineties (one inspiration for the subject matter of the show). A culmination of Project Curate, part of NURTUREart's Education Program (overseen by Education Director Molly O'Brien) #ArtistsBeLike is the result of a year long exploration of the curatorial process by a class of advanced high school art students guided by professional curator Loney Abrams.
While the details of the shows creation are intriguing (a supplementary video of the students at work on the project is downright charming) a question emerged; is the show, on its own merits, a success? My answer: unequivocally!

Sourced from seven artists, the works in #ArtistsBeLike question the internet's influence on culture and societal norm, its impact on the environment and public health, and it's lingering imprint on issues of authorship, verisimilitude and authenticity. The show's standouts include a video by Andrea Crespo where-in adolescent fictional characters mug and preen for a web-cam imagined audience and also "Feeling Fatal" a sculptural work by Mitchell Charbonneau. This work sets mounds of powdered creatine atop a full-length mirror, which rests upon vats of hair gel, suggesting themes of manufactured image, consumption, narcissism and addiction. For a critical consideration of our current digital context, this show cannot be beat and is one that many adult and seasoned art professionals can learn from. (through May 23rd)